


The One That Saves Me

by AuntGinger27



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Canon Related, Cute, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Hopeful Ending, Husbands, Kid Fic, M/M, Married Couple, Mickey Milkovich-centric, No Smut, Post-Season/Series 10, Protective Ian Gallagher, Protective Mickey Milkovich, dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:01:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22796395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuntGinger27/pseuds/AuntGinger27
Summary: Just one weekend, and a visit from two neighborhood strays, have the possibility of changing the rest of their lives.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 20
Kudos: 158





	The One That Saves Me

**Author's Note:**

> I don't usually write "canon" fics, because I really just like doing my own thing. This would not leave my head though. It can be read as a one shot, but I consider this the follow up to Across The Threshold. Hope you enjoy! XOXO Amy

Mickey gets a text from Larry Seaver as they finish loading the rest of their luggage into the Mercedes. Their honeymoon is officially over and it is time to go back home. The week long getaway went by way too fast. He puts his seatbelt on, Ian in the driver seat, and opens up the message. It's a news article. He sees the Calderon cartel was apparently taken down a few days ago. He breathes a shaky sigh of relief.

"Everything okay?" Ian glances over while he drives.

"Yeah. All good," Mickey laughs and locks his phone, putting it away. He cards his fingers through Ian's hair. "Everything's all good."

They take the scenic route home, just wanting to hang onto their honeymoon a little longer. They were completely unaware of the shitshow that awaited them at home.

~*~

Mickey holds the front door open for Ian and follows him inside the house. "How's it feel to finally have that boot off, Hopalong Cassidy?"

"Ah, see you can't call me that now." Ian drops their bags on the floor and does a little Irish looking jig. "And it feels grrreat!"

Mickey's laugh turns into a small noise of interest when Ian wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him flush against him. Mickey's arms automatically loop around the back of his husband's neck.

"The things I'm gonna be able to do to you again," Ian murmurs, dipping his hands down to squeeze his husband's ass.

"Mmmm, yeah?" Mickey smiles and brings their lips together for a slow and lazy kiss.

"Mhmm." Ian trails his lips to whisper in Mickey's ear. "But I did like having you ride me. Oh my god, that thing you did-"

Whatever game Ian was about to spit got cut off by a child crying. They break apart and look at each other before sighing and finally entering into the living room. Carl's holding a crying Franny, and Frank is heading in their direction from the kitchen.

"Here, give her to me, son," Frank mumbles. He's chewing something up in his fingers.

Ian assesses the situation in about two seconds flat. "Oh hell no!" He bum-rushes and grabs Franny out of Frank's reach. He looks at Carl. "Where's Debbie?"

~*~

Mickey can't help but to gloat pettily just a little bit inside at the news of Debbie getting arrested. It was only fair she got her turn to spend a little time in the metal motel, all things considered.

"Sandy's been trying to get money up to get her a paralegal. She tossed Julia and all of her stuff out," Carl explains while Ian calms Franny down. "It's just been me and Liam holding the place down."

"Where's Lip and Tami?" Ian asks.

"They're all sick. They've been bunkered down in their RV the whole time you two were gone. He's been texting to check in. They didn't want to get Franny sick."

Meanwhile, Mickey sends a text to check in with Sandy.

[Mickey 10:17am] Ay don't get caught up with that one. Heard what was going on.

[Sandy 10:20am] She's my gf

[Mickey 10:21am] Where u gettin the money?

[Sandy 10:21am] Unloaded those rings. It's fine.

[Sandy 10:23am] Heard Terry got locked up for life :) Anyway I gotta go. Ttyl

~*~

"So, how was the honeymoon?" Carl nods at Mickey. "You use those edible boxers?"

Mickey's nodding and grinning like a Cheshire cat when he looks over at his husband. "Yeah he did."

Ian shakes his head at Carl and talks over Mickey. "Nope. Not now, not ever gonna talk to you about that."

Ian goes to sit Franny on the couch now that she calmed down. His face scrunches up in confusion when he sees a little redhead and brown haired girl on the couch watching TV. He looks at Carl. "Uh, who are they?"

Liam walks in from the kitchen. "That's Stella and Bella."

"They just came in like they owned the place." Carl shrugs.

Ian sighs wearily. This is not how he was expecting his weekend to start off.

"I hate to interrupt this little homecoming," Frank comments. "I really must get that Mercedes back and head on home. I don't suppose you boys topped the tank off for your dear old dad?"

"On E like you left it, Frank." Ian tosses him the keys.

"Uh, yeah, so I'm gonna dip out too," Carl says hastily, following Frank. "Can I get a ride, Frank?"

Frank twirls the keys around his finger and pauses at the door. "Does this ride include gas money?"

"Yeah," Carl sighs and rolls his eyes.

Frank holds the front door open. "Then climb aboard my chariot, son."

Frank turns his attention back to Ian and Mickey who are staring in disbelief. They're really about to get left with all those kids. "Good luck. Kids are a handful." Frank salutes them. "Blessings, the little tikes are. Raised six of 'em by myself," he tells Mickey.

Mickey slams the door in his face.

~*~

Mickey and Ian are having a quiet debate over who is going to deal with the two extra kids sitting on their couch.

"You go."

"No _you_ go."

"Why do I have to?"

"Because it's your house!"

"We're married now. It's _our_ house."

Mickey makes the decision for them and shoves Ian forward. Ian glares at his husband, who takes a seat in the recliner. Ian debates over which one to talk to. Bella looks more approachable so he stoops in front of her.

"Um, hello. I'm Ian," he begins awkwardly. "So, where are your parents? Is there someone I can call to come pick you up?"

Bella sits silent and twiddles with a string on her shirt. Stella rolls her eyes and answers. "We don't have any parents, idiot. And we're not going back to Mama Kamala's."

"She's still collecting kids?" Ian comments absently.

"Yeah. Now move," Stella says to Ian, nudging him with her light up sneaker. "Your big head is blocking the TV."

Mickey snorts and Ian's mouth drops open as he stands and gets out of the way.

Stella turns her attention to Franny. "You know the routine. Go get your mom's weed."

"That's actually a good idea," Mickey agrees, nodding at Stella. He looks at Franny, who is still sitting there. "Bring it straight to Uncle Mickey."

"I meant for me!" Stella snaps at Mickey.

Mickey comically blinks at her. "I fuckin need it more than you do!"

"Okaaay," Ian talks over Mickey, who is having a glaring contest with Stella. "First of all, language."

"I think language is the least of these kids worries," Mickey mutters under his breath.

"Second of all, I better not catch any of you going into Debbie's room until I've had a chance to put her stuff up. Have I made myself clear?" Ian asks the room, sounding very dad like. He gets staggered nods from everyone, including a reluctant one from his husband, and from Liam who has been watching and judging the whole situation.

"How about we make some breakfast?" Ian suggests to Mickey who gives him a deadpan look. "Go wash up," he says to Bella and Stella. Bella follows Stella upstairs. "Liam, go help them, and take Franny too."

"You mean watch 'em," Mickey says lowly to himself.

"She stole all of my stuff," Liam complains. "I thought we charged people if they stayed for meals."

"Yeah, well think of it as helping the less fortunate," Ian says.

"We are the less fortunate." Liam rolls his eyes, but takes Franny with him.

"You got me there," Ian agrees to Liam's retreating form.

~*~

They find a hand knife in Stella's bag while the kids are upstairs washing up. It doesn't take a genius to figure out it's hers. 

"Jesus," Ian sighs and tosses it back in her bag. "They barely have any clothes. The ones they do have are filthy."

That is precisely when Stella comes back downstairs. She runs over and snatches her bag from Ian. A look of embarrassment and shame comes across her face. It sends an odd feeling of empathy over Mickey. He has to turn his head and look away.

"Mama Kamala took our stuff," Stella mutters angrily to the floor. "I grabbed what I could."

"That's okay," Ian says softly. "Hey, I'm sorry for going through your things," he offers weakly. Stella remains silent.

"I need coffee," Ian sighs and goes to the kitchen. Mickey follows him.

~*~

They have a hushed discussion while Mickey cooks eggs and the kids watch TV in the living room. They make a mutual decision to contact a social worker on Monday. Neither of them felt comfortable sending those kids back to Mama Kamala.

"Ay, just promise me you won't get attached to those kids, Ian," Mickey says as he plates breakfast.

Ian doesn't answer. He just raises a brow and pours them both a cup of coffee.

~*~

"You two are married?" Stella asks Ian curiously as she stares at their wedding bands. They are all at the dining table eating breakfast.

Ian looks up from where he's helping Franny and Bella with their breakfast. "Yeah, we are."

Stella debates for a moment and looks back and forth between him and Mickey. "You want kids?"

Ian smiles and answers immediately. "Yes."

The 'fuck' is on the tip of Mickey's tongue until he catches Ian's eye. "Fuu- er, no."

"Good!" Stella rolls her neck and her eyes at Mickey. "Don't get any ideas!"

"Trust me, I won't." Mickey shakes the Tabasco on his breakfast and goes back to ignoring her.

Stella's eyes bore holes into Mickey for the longest. "Your eggs taste like garbage," she says when he doesn't look at her.

That gets Mickey's attention. He chews and raises his brows and so does Stella in challenge.

Mickey takes a swig of his beer, then takes the hot sauce and shakes it generously over her eggs. He leans in and looks her square in the eye. "Guess what, Damien? Now they taste like spicy garbage. Eat, kid."

She's probably too young to catch that Omen reference, but Ian sees the small smile on Stella's face and the amused curiosity in her eyes.

She cleans the plate.

~*~

After breakfast, Mickey delegates the dishes to Liam and Stella. Franny and the silent one help tote dishes back and forth. Mickey has yet to hear the kid talk. He's tried to get something, anything out of her. It's like talking to a guard at Buckingham Palace. Nothing. Ian goes to check on Lip and Tami. Mickey goes outside to have a much needed cigarette.

He's smoked his first one and just lit up another when Stella comes outside. She takes a seat on the step below Mickey and pulls out her vape.

Mickey watches in disbelief. "Should you even be smoking that?"

Stella looks up at him after she takes a puff. "Should you be smoking cigarettes?"

Mickey flicks his ash to the side. "I'm grown. Which means I can consent to destroying my lungs."

Stella puffs her vape and blows it out of her nostrils. "That's really stupid."

She has a point.

They smoke quietly until Stella turns and looks up at him again. "Tell you what. I'll put down the vape if you put down the cigarettes."

Mickey debates for a moment. It was one of those things he and Ian had kind of thought about doing, but not really made any effort in doing. He takes the last drag off of his cigarette and flicks it in the grass. "Okay, deal."

Stella hands him her vape pen. "I'm out of vape juice anyway."

"I was going to quit anyway," Mickey insists.

~*~

Lunch consists of pb&j sandwiches, and that's about all of the food left besides breakfast food, and various things that don't make a meal. 

"I'm going to run down to the store and get some food and stuff. Write down what you need," Mickey tells Ian. He has some extra cash from getting his deposit back on the Bamboo Lotus.

Ian writes out a small list and hands it to his husband. Stella hops up from the couch and follows Mickey. He does a double take and looks back at Ian who is looking down at Bella. She's gravitated towards him and is looking up at him with doe eyes.

"She wants you to pick her up," Stella says simply.

Ian picks her up and puts her on his hip. She just wraps her arms around his neck and lays her head on his shoulder. He shares a look with Mickey. He kind of half shrugs at Ian and heads out the front door with Stella right behind him.

~*~

Mickey and Stella come back with bags of groceries and a bag full of clothes from Goodwill that still have the original store tags on them.

Liam, Franny, and Bella are running all over the house playing. Ian is acting like he's immune to it as he does laundry. He comes over and takes the bags from Mickey to help put away the groceries.

Mickey and Stella are laughing about something. Ian doesn't know what they talked about on their trip to the store, but they obviously must have reached a mutual tolerance of each other. Ian snaps a quick picture of them on his phone without them seeing him do it.

"Does this count as not getting attached?" Ian asks lowly, checking out the clothes and pack of underwear and socks Mickey bought the girls.

"Shut up, Ian." Mickey shoulders him gently. "Kids needed clothes."

Ian wraps his arms around his waist and kisses his temple. "I have the best husband," Ian murmurs against Mickey's hair. "Such a provider."

Mickey tries to bite at his lip to stop the smile that's spreading on his face. Ian sees it anyway.

~*~

They manage to make it through most of the day so far without anyone losing any limbs. The noise level is grating on Mickey's nerves. It could also be from not smoking in a couple of hours. 

He tries to concentrate on the bell pepper he's chopping for their spaghetti. He doesn't understand how he got finagled into cooking dinner. Ian should be doing this. Fuckhead will probably argue that he made lunch. It takes zero fucking effort to slap some peanut butter and jelly on bread.

Liam's playing a rap version of Baby Shark on his phone while Franny dances and sings along to it. It's been Liam's thing lately. Trying to get them to listen to other music, and giving them various facts and history so they won't be 'uncultured swine'. Either way, that shit is going to get stuck in Mickey's head. Ian looks like he's having a swell time coloring at the table with Stella and Silent Bob.

Mickey pops a Nicorette in his mouth that he and Stella may or may not have stolen from the store. This is so not how his weekend is supposed to go. He was supposed to relax before he met with his P.O. Monday. Bang his husband and consummate their marriage in their own bed. Walk around in his boxers and let Ian dote on him and flirt with him. Yet here he is with the Get Along Gang doing anything but that. Stella interrupts his thoughts when she comes up with her palm out like gimme. Mickey pushes a Nicorette out of the foil pack and into her hand.

"Is that Nicorette?" Ian asks incredulously from the table.

"Yeah," Mickey says, munching on his gum. "Hey, it's better than her vaping right?"

Stella munches on hers just like Mickey does and looks at Ian with her arms folded across her chest.

"It's still putting nicotine into her body, Mick."

"No," Mickey shakes his head. "These help you quit craving nicotine."

Ian just rolls his eyes. He can't complain too much. 

"Where's the Ragu?" Mickey asks as he searches the cabinets.

"I literally wrote you a list," Ian says.

"Well someone's gonna have to go back to the store." Mickey starts low key freaking out, looking at the clock. "I gotta eat at least by-"

"Seven, I know," Ian finishes with an unimpressed look on his face.

Liam turns his music off. "I'll go."

Ian looks at his brother. "I don't really like for you to go down there by yourself."

"You send me all over this city by myself any other time."

Ian shrugs with a dumb look on his face. "Yeah, but I'm _really_ responsible for you now."

Mickey pipes in from the stove, sick of the dumb shit. "Just take the murderous one with you." He points at Stella. She smirks and flips open her knife.

Liam's eyes bulge and he shakes his head. He looks at Mickey. "But, I'm a guy. Shouldn't I protect her?"

"Well, yeah, I guess technically." Mickey shrugs and gets a beer out of the fridge. He pops the top and spits his gum in the trash. "I mean come on though, Liam. Do you even know how to hold a knife?"

"No."

Mickey gulps his beer and belches. "Okay, then that's settled. We're gonna work on that too. Stella, go with him."

"Gonna cost you," Stella replies looking up at Mickey.

Mickey gives her the brows. "How much?"

"An Ipad," she replies, and so serious too.

"Tuh," Mickey huffs a laugh. "Did you stretch before that reach? You better lower those standards by like a thousand."

"Fine," Stella shrugs and narrows her eyes at Mickey. "Fruit Roll-Ups. The _real_ kind not the store brand, and a six pack of Mountain Dew." 

"Done and done." Mickey pulls his wallet out and hands her some cash. "I want my change too."

Ian's smiling at Mickey when Stella and Liam take off to the store. 

"And what are you looking at?" Mickey glares half heartedly at his husband.

Ian just smiles harder and sips his beer, then goes back to coloring with Franny and Bella. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

~*~

The spaghetti was a hit. Ian even brought some to Tami and Lip so they wouldn't have to cook.

Mickey's fed and in bed. He's relaxed and in his husband's arms in their own little paradise. They both managed to get a somewhat hot shower after all the tiny humans and got them settled in Debbie's room.

Ian is doing that obvious back of the neck kiss to Mickey. It makes Mickey smile because he knows what his husband wants. He hums lowly in his throat and reaches a hand back, sliding it down Ian's leg, pulling him closer.

Ian is about to turn it up a notch. He's just about to really put the moves on Mickey and get him some. His hand is about to slide down the back of Mickey's sweats, to get a handful of that sweet ass and tickle that hole, when the accordion door to their room slides open. The light from the hallway seeps in and they jump apart.

It's Bella standing there holding her arm up. She's got a scrape on it that's bleeding and residual tears in her eyes.

Ian climbs over Mickey, painfully elbowing him in the gut accidentally, and rushes to Bella.

"What happened? Did you have a bad dream?" Ian asks looking at her arm. "Did you fall out of the bed?"

Bella nods. _Silent. Still silent_, Mickey notes.

"Come on," Ian murmurs. "I'll get you taken care of."

He takes her by the hand and walks her towards the bathroom. They're just entering it when Mickey makes it to the hallway. He gets cut off by Stella who woke up wild eyed and not knowing what was going on.

"What the fuuu-" Mickey starts in surprise. She's got her knife pointed at him.

"Yo! Short one," she spits threateningly at him. "What's the hot one doing with her?!"

"Why is he the hot one?" Mickey asks himself and the ceiling, trying to get his pulse to calm down from the little knife wielding Chucky in front of him.

"Because he washes his hair," Stella says matter of factly.

"I wash my hair too!" Mickey argues, earning him a doubtful look from Stella. "It's gel- You know what? Whatever." 

Mickey runs a tired hand down his face and sighs. He sees a lot of himself in Stella. She's obviously been brought up in a traumatic environment. The signs are clearly there. Little things that catch Mickey's attention even though he doesn't comment on them. She's probably seen some things that make her have such a tough exterior. She's probably never really had a chance to be a kid either. He wonders when the last time she had a good night's sleep, as he takes in the dark circles around her eyes.

"She's fine. I promise. She just scraped her arm," Mickey assures her. "Ian's going to take good care of her. He's an EMT. You know what that is?"

Stella nods and folds her knife closed. "Yeah."

"He's even doctored me up," Mickey continues, "after I got banged up. I jumped out of a moving bus."

"You jumped out of a bus?" Stella asks in amusement.

"Yeah, I did. Wasn't the brightest idea." Mickey chuckles softly. "Hey, listen. We're not gonna let anything bad happen to either of you, okay?"

Stella nods and its like she finally lets out a breath neither knew she was holding. There's a look of tiredness and defeat that fades slowly into relief as her shoulders relax and her brow unforrows.

There's an awkward silence for a moment, they can just barely hear Ian's soothing voice as he talks to Bella in the bathroom.

"You wanna watch some Netflix?" Mickey offers Stella. "There's this new show Locke and Key."

"What's it about?" Stella asks as she follows him downstairs.

"This creepy house with all these keys that have different powers. Its suppose to have demons and sh-stuff," Mickey corrects himself.

"Awesome." 

~*~

Ian finds his husband downstairs on the couch with Stella. He's got Bella on his hip when they come and join them. Stella gives her sister a once over, making sure she's alright. The little smile she gives Stella relieves her. She settles back with her popcorn and Mountain Dew.

It's not long into the first episode when Liam and Franny come creeping down the stairs hand in hand. Bella is asleep against Ian's chest.

"Can we watch the show too?" Liam asks with a hopeful look on his face.

Ian smiles over the back of the couch. "Yeah, come on."

They run down and take a seat on the floor in front of the couch. 

"I'm going to bring one of the mattresses down. I'll be right back," Ian tells Mickey. He doesn't have time to protest before Ian gently places a sleeping Bella in his arms and goes to head upstairs.

Bella's eyes pop open for a second and then close again. She shifts to get herself comfortable and cuddles Mickey. He awkwardly holds her and his eyes wander over her face, studying her features. She's actually pretty fucking cute, and reminds him of Ian. He smiles to himself and holds her a little tighter.

Stella had been watching the whole time with a secret smile on her face. She just slowly eases closer to Mickey. She ends up tucked into his side and pretends to not notice when he looks at her in surprise. She just keeps eating her popcorn.

It's not long after that, Ian comes toting the mattress and blankets downstairs all by himself, muscles flexing.

"Show off," Mickey mutters as his husband places the mattress down for the kids. 

"You like it," Ian says.

Mickey really does.

Mickey reaches for the popcorn Stella has been hogging, after Ian takes Bella and lays her in the bed with Liam and Franny. Stella swats his hand.

"Really?" Mickey huffs. "I was the one who popped it."

Stella just laughs and keeps munching on her popcorn. Not even five minutes later she sets a Fruit Roll-Up on his knee and keeps watching the show. She misses the smile that spreads across Mickey's face.

~*~

It's well into the night, and Mickey and Ian are the only ones still awake. Mickey scoops Stella up and lays her in the bed with the rest of the kids and puts a blanket over them. Ian watches and has such heart eyes. He doesn't say anything, just shuts the TV off and makes room for Mickey to lay down on the couch with him. He wraps his long limbs around Mickey and pulls the blanket over him. It's not long before they fall asleep too.

They may not realize it, but it's the safest those kids have felt in a long time.

~*~

The next morning, Liam, Franny, and Stella help Mickey carry the bed back upstairs. At least they try to help, they're mostly just guiding it. Mickey's at the bottom so it doesn't topple down on them. It would probably be easier if he just had carried it up by himself. 

"To the left," Mickey grunts. "No, other left."

Franny is just bouncing up and down on the stairs. "Push, Uncle Mickey! Push!"

"You're supposed to be helping me, Tater Tot." Mickey says to her.

"Need some help?" Ian asks. He comes from the kitchen and watches them. 

Mickey almost drops the mattress at the sight of his husband. It's like a super gay Rockwell scene. He has a spatula in his hand and Bella on his hip. It's almost like a flash of what their lives would be like if these kids were theirs. His husband with a little girl who looks freakishly similar to him. It's too much.

"No we got this," Mickey says stubbornly.

"We got this! We got this!" Franny parrots.

Ian just shakes his head and goes back to the kitchen

~*~

Sunday doesn't go much different from Saturday. Although there is a bit of a shift. It's like they have all gotten into somewhat of a routine together. It makes a feeling come over Mickey and Ian both. Especially when night rolls around again.

Franny is hyped up and wanting a bedtime story. "Story! Story! Story!" She chants and pounds her little fists on the covers.

Silent Bob is beside her. She doesn't say anything but does the hand movements Franny is doing. Ian swears she talks to him and that she is just shy. Jury is still out on that one, as far as Mickey is concerned.

Stella just smirks at them over the magazine she's reading.

Ian and Mickey give in. Mickey kneels by the bed next to his husband. Ian starts telling them a story about a little boy who had trouble sleeping at night and wished for a dream to come visit him. It makes Mickey smile, because he knows what Ian is referring to. It leads into a Ukrainian lullaby Mickey's mom used to tell him when he was very young. Ian just ad-libed the backstory for it.

Mickey says his parts and Ian says his. Ian always does the voices so good. 

"The Dream passes by the window, and Sleep by the fence. The Dream asks Sleep:"

"Where should we rest tonight?"

"Where the cottage is warm. Where the tot is tiny."

"There we will go, and rock the child to sleep."

"There we will sleep, and will sing to the child:"

"Sleep, sleep, my little falcon. Sleep, sleep, my little dove."

There isn't a child who doesn't have a droopy eye by the time the story finishes.

~*~

But at last came a knock, or so the saying goes.

It's still fairly early Monday morning. They already had breakfast, walked Liam to school, and now were playing Twister in the living room.

Mickey and Stella are still laughing at each other, bent and contorted all over the place. Franny is so cheating. She's still little and doesn't really understand the rules, so they let her slide. 

Ian gets up to answer the door. Their careful nest they built around them the past weekend just falls apart in that instant when he sees her. It's the same social worker who handled their case when they were teenagers. He already kind of expected it to be her, but it doesn't stop his heart from dropping to the pit of his stomach. He sighs heavily, steps aside and shows her in.

Stella notices her first. The smile on her face drops as she stands up.

"Yes! I'm the champion!" Mickey laughs until he reads the room and stands up. 

Shit. It isn't like he didnt know this was coming today. He and Ian talked about it in their bed, little hushed whispers during the night over the weekend. Ian agreed to place the call. It was the right thing to do....Right? They could get in a mess of trouble for not reporting runaways. That's something they didnt need. He and Ian had to get back to their lives. Mickey had to meet with Larry and start looking for a new job. Ian was wanting to find a new ambulance service to work for as well. It's just the reality of it hit him harder than he anticipated, now that the time had finally come.

It's like the light just drains from both of those kids. Reality hits them just as hard. Stella and her sister's face shift back to the way they looked when they first got there. It is an expression of a lifetime of disappointment, sadness, but also acceptance. They are probably used to not having anything good last for long in their lives.

The social worker smiles warmly, reassuringly. "I found a new home for you both. It's with a nice young married couple. They have a beautiful house and a big back yard."

She's still talking with a hopeful and upbeat, rehearsed tone, but Mickey just tunes her out. His eyes are focused on the two little girls he cant help but somehow feel like he let down.

"Let's go get our stuff," Stella says quietly to her sister.

~*~

Ian has already hugged those kids tightly and said his goodbyes, blinking and wiping at his eyes furiously. He's got Franny on his hip, standing on the porch. Mickey still hasn't been able to open his mouth and say a word. He's simply stunned.

When they start to leave Mickey has this feeling come over him as he watches them walk down the steps. It's like one of those sappy moments in every cheesy movie he's ever watched. He is actually kinda....No _really_ fucking sad. It hits him hard and he can't ignore it when Stella looks back at him and half waves goodbye to him. She's so small and helpless in the moment. They both have on the clothes that he bought them. Mickey can practically feel his heart breaking in his chest. 

"Wait!" Mickey rushes down the stairs. He reaches in his pocket and gives Stella his number he had wrote down.

"You can call me, ya know, if either of you need anything." His voice shakes. He stoops down on his knees until he is eye to eye with Stella. "I know how hard it can get sometimes. Just know that you have people out here who have your back. Just say Fruit Roll-Ups and I will come day or night if you need me, okay? No questions asked."

Stella looks every bit of the kid she really is when she nods and hangs onto Mickey's number tightly. She takes him by surprise and hugs him fiercely.

Bella runs back and hugs him too. "Thank you, Mickey," she says softly. Her voice is so tiny and childlike and everything Mickey thought it would sound like.

And his heart just about splinters into tiny bits.

~*~

Ian pulls Mickey close when they go back inside. He kisses him tenderly and just searches his face in wonderment and longing. 

"What is it?" Mickey asks after a moment. 

"Nothing it's just....you're gonna be a really great dad, Mickey," Ian says softly. "You have always been a great dad."

"You really think so?" Mickey asks sadly.

"You're going to get a chance to do it the right way this time, I promise." Ian kisses him softly again. "When you're ready, of course. I'm gonna make sure of that. I'll do anything I can to make it happen."

Ian knows his husband is on the same page as him. He knows he felt the same connection with those kids. 

"We're going to have a great family, Mickey."

~*~

There are little reminders of their weekend Mickey keeps finding all over the house that evening. Silent Bob's little hair ties she left behind. Stella's vape pen she gave him. Their Nicorette. Toys scattered. The pictures Stella drew. They are so emo with a touch of goth, and just Mickey's style. It's a family pic of the four of them. She even somehow made his hair look shiny in the picture with a little glitter. He hangs them carefully on the fridge and stares at them for the longest. Thinks to himself, _What if? Did we really do the right thing? Did we even have a choice?_

~*~

That night Mickey does research on the busted up Gallagher laptop while his husband sleeps beside him in their bed. Mickey is looking up everything he can find on being a foster parent with a felony and even adoptions.

_How can we compete with a straight married couple and a big backyard?_

Mickey thinks about their weekend. How it was kinda awesome having those kids running around. The light in Ian's eyes the entire weekend. He looks at the picture on his phone that Ian texted him. There's one of Ian and Bella, and one of Mickey and Stella. Ian caught a candid of them when they were both laughing loud and indulgent. It makes Mickey smile. His breath hitches and his eyes feel like they are burning. He rubs at them and feels the wetness there. 

"Fuck," Mickey rolls his eyes and laughs quietly to himself over how ridiculously soft he got over kids he barely even knew. 

Maybe it is wishful thinking, just being caught up in the moment and the honeymoon phase. 

Maybe they need time to just be married for a little while and figure their life out first. After all, they haven't really ever had the chance to just be happy together. Plus, their plate is kind of full with Liam and Franny. Honestly, he and Ian are the only ones in that house responsible enough and willing to take care of them.

Then again, maybe those kids were put in their lives for a reason. Maybe Ian was right all along. 

Mickey likes to think they will make pretty great parents, and be nothing like their own. His mind wanders to his own childhood. What if someone would have saved him? What if Stella and Bella were actually saving them?

_What if?_

Ian rolls over in bed reaching for Mickey. 

Mickey closes the laptop and sits it to the side. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

Ian yawns. "It's okay. Whatcha looking up?"

"A lot of things." Mickey kisses Ian on the forehead.

"Yeah? You wanna talk about it?" Ian asks sleepily.

"Yeah, but go back to sleep." Mickey wraps his arms around him. "We can talk about it in the morning."


End file.
